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Parents' Guide to

Mandy

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Bizarre revenge horror movie has graphic violence, gore.

Movie NR 2018 121 minutes
Mandy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 18+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Carol C.
Carol C. Adult
February 19, 2023
age 18+

Loose Yourself In The Void

The first thing I would change is the timeframe to somewhere between 1969 snd 1974. 1983 just doesn’t have the vibe created by this work-of-fine-art of a movie. By 1983 we were turning into yuppies. Also the funky hippie font used to introduce sections of the movie are definitely 70’s. I know because I was there for those decades in great form. There is also music by King Crimson, definitely 70’s. This small detail really bugged me a lot. Her wig. Its really bad and why is that? There are amazing commercial wigs available so why the tacky wig? Ugh! I have never seen anything like this and I like that a lot. It is an atmospheric movie. There is more atmosphere and mood than anything else. You can feel the atmosphere which is dreamlike, or nightmare like. Their life and home is a mystical sylvan dream until Mandy tells a customer at the convenience store where she works, where she lives! Ugh! The actress that plays Mandy has few lines but is hypnotic and unforgettable. What the makeup artist did with her eyes and face was subtle but genius. It made her lovely in a heart-wrenching way. Mandy’s sad wounded bird spirit, her choice of dark reading material, other-worldly art style beat the drum … unknowingly inviting the evil in. The cult leader said that she had called to him. And so she did. Did I mention the camera work? The visuals? Like closing your eyes at a Pink Floyd concert, sent adrift. Mandy and Red’s problem is that they’ve been lulled into an idyllic trance of complacency forgetting the devil is always just two steps behind. Red failed Mandy his wounded little bird. This movie is extremely violent, bloody, and gory, not for children. However its one of the most memorable movies I have ever seen. Actually haunting.
BrianBnew
BrianBnew Adult
September 2, 2020
age 18+

Extremely weird

Well... it's most certainly not for children! It's a weird gore-fest with long periods of surrealism, which are the most interesting parts, though the film is distinctly uneven in this respect. The soundtrack is entertaining, and the acting (suitably) well over-the-top, with the cult leader as a sort of cross between Manson and Koresh. But if you're going to rate it as a Nicolas Cage cult movie, you have to say it's not nearly as good as the equally bonkers Drive Angry, as the latter is far superior, with a stronger plot-line, and much-needed black humour.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In MANDY, Red (Nicolas Cage) lives with his artist girlfriend Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) in the peace and seclusion of the Shadow Mountains in 1983. Their peace is soon shattered after Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache), the leader of a hippie death cult, spots Mandy on a dirt road near her house, and decides that she must join them. The cult, with the assistance of a demonic drug-fueled motorcycle gang, tie up Mandy and Red, and then Mandy refuses to join and laughs at the psychedelic folk record Sand released when he was a struggling musician. Outraged, Sand then kills Mandy and sets her on fire in front of Red, whose wrists and mouth are bound with barbed wire. When the cult and motorcycle gang leave, Red escapes the barbed wire, violently grieves, and then plots his revenge. He reclaims his crossbow that was held by a neighbor, forges a battle ax, and sets out to kill those who murdered his girlfriend, by any means necessary.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (5 ):

In spite of its worn-on-sleeve influences, there's really nothing quite like this bizarre and captivating revenge horror film. Its '80s setting almost suggests Stranger Things without the innocent coming-of-age scenes, but it's more like a hallucinogenic reimagining of, among other things, Heavy Metal (the movie, and the music videos of the genre), the artwork on Dungeons and Dragons modules, the darkest of David Lynch, and a zonked-out Koresh-like nightmare of a cult leader (played with intensely creepy menace by Linus Roache). The hazy eeriness permeating the movie is heightened by a harrowing soundtrack and performances where every actor seems pushed to the breaking point.

While by this point audiences have managed expectations when viewing a "Nicolas Cage movie," the exaggerated bombast and overblown intensity perfectly fit the style and sensibility of Mandy. Anyone familiar with revenge movies should have a good indication of how the story will eventually transpire, but it's the singular journey that makes one forget the expected destination, and it's what makes Mandy so unique. It's easy to imagine this movie attaining a (no pun intended) cult-like status, and not just for scenes of Nic Cage screaming at the top of his lungs in an '80s-style bathroom in his underwear while chugging vodka straight from the bottle, or for "Amulet of the Weeping Maze," the psych-folk jam presented as a sample of cult leader Jeremiah Sand's failed music career (and yes, it's on Spotify). But be warned that it's weird and not for everyone, especially kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about horror movie violence. Why do you think blood and gore has entertainment value for some? How much is too much?

  • What are some other examples of movies besides Mandy in which revenge is the lead character's main motivation? Why do you think revenge has an appeal for audiences?

  • How did music heighten moments of suspense? How is music used in other movies?

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